| ![Show Contents]() Nancy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Nancy history begins in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. Quite distinct from Devon, the adjoining county, Cornwall had its own spoken language until the late 18th century. The Nancy history began here. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames were derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. The Nancy family originally lived in the village of Nanfan, in Cornwall. Members of the family were involved in the blacksmith trade and prior to the 18th century often went by the occupational name Trengove, from the Cornish words tren meaning strong, and angove, meaning smith. Many used the name Trengoff of Nance. Early Origins of the Nancy familyThe surname Nancy was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat from early times. The manor of Truthal in the parish of Sithney, Cornwall was "granted to the family of Nants or Nance, [after the Reformation] who were succeeded in the possession by the Arundells of Tolverne." 1 Early History of the Nancy familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nancy research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1521, 1547, 1553, 1561 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Nancy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Nancy Spelling VariationsCornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Nance, Trengove, Trengoff, Trengrove and others. Early Notables of the Nancy familyAnother 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nancy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Nancy family to Ireland
Some of the Nancy family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Nancy migration to the United States | + |
Early records show that people bearing the name Nancy arrived in North America quite early:
Nancy Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Robert Nancy, (Naney), aged 22, who landed in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Increase" 2
Nancy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Jaques De Nancy, who arrived in America in 1828 3
- James Nancy, aged 40, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1841 3
| Contemporary Notables of the name Nancy (post 1700) | + |
- Adolph Herman Nancy, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Utah 2nd District, 1970
- Jean-Luc Nancy (1940-2021), French philosopher, known for Le titre de la lettre (The Title of the Letter, 1973) and (The Speculative Remark, 2001)
- Barbara Nancy Hosking CBE, FRSA, FRTS (1926-2021), British broadcaster and civil servant
- Mrs. Clare Nancy Russell C.V.O., British Lord-Lieutenant of Banffshire was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order on 17th June 2017
- Mrs. Jennifer Nancy Willott O.B.E. (b. 1974), born in Wimbledon, London, British Politician former Liveral Democrat for Cardiff Central, was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018, for political and public service 4
- Beatrice Nancy Seear PC (1913-1997), Baroness Seear, a British social scientist and politician
- Dorothy Nancy Stroud MBE, Assistant Curator, Sir John Soanes Museum
- Lynn Nancy Rivers (b. 1956), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives 53rd District, 1993-94; U.S. Representative from Michigan 13th District, 1995-2003; Defeated in primary, 2002 5
- Nancy Patricia Pelosi (b. 1940), née D'Alesandro, American politician from Baltimore, Maryland, the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
- Nancy Murrall (1922-2024), birth name of Nancy Mackay, Canadian bronze medalist sprinter in the 4 x 100 m relay at the 1948 Summer Olympics
- Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
- Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Nancy migration to the United States 
England
Ireland
